Scotland the Great
by Alidiabin
Summary: The team celebrate St. Andrews Day.


**Title: **Scotland the Great**  
>Fandom: <strong>NCIS**  
>Author: <strong>Alidiabin**  
>Words: <strong>924**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>I own nothing**  
>Warnings Spoilers: ** slight for 9x10. Rating G. **  
>Parings:<strong> none.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>The team celebrate St. Andrews Day.

_**Scotland the Great**_

Donald Mallard noticed the date as he walked past his calendar. November 30th also known as St. Andrews Day. It was Scotland's national day in honour of St. Andrew the patron state of Scotland (and Greece and Russia but mostly Scotland) he was also Christ's first disciple.

Back when Ducky was a child his mother would take him to a relative's house and they would celebrate. His maternal family were as Scottish as they could be claiming ancestry as far back as Scotland itself. His maternal family claimed they were amongst the first Scots. They would celebrate their Scottish heritage proudly. Ducky and his mother's extended family would sit and eat a lavish meal fit for a noble.

His spinster Aunt also spoke of old folk customs for a girl wishing to marry. She would throw a shoe at the door, if the toe of the shoe pointed toward the exit the girl would marry within a year. Also an unmarried girl would peel an apple without breaking the peel. She would then throw it over her shoulder, if it formed a letter that letter was said to be the first initial of the groom. Every year his Aunt Bess took part in such traditions. As Ducky got older he wondered if they were just for show or whether his geriatric Aunt still believed in love and that she would find a husband.

Since Ducky and his mother had moved from Scotland the holiday had become more than just a celebration of their heritage but a reminder of the place they had left. They would sit and eat food from their homeland and reminisce on their many adventures together. In their early years in America, Ducky would take his dear mother to one of the many events held in DC to mark the holiday.

As the people he worked with became more than just colleagues and his mother slowly lost touch with reality, Ducky started to include his second family in the celebration. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas and more recently Hanukkah it became a tradition among the team. Though Abby and Tony still refused point blank to even try haggis, they all had fun; Ziva and Abby particularly enjoyed the dancing.

Ducky turned back to look at the date, it seemed that his second family had forgotten about St. Andrews Day. He was not surprised really; St. Andrews day was nothing in comparison to Thanksgiving. And it had been quite an eventful Thanksgiving with DiNozzo Senior trying to make up for lost time. Ducky did not mind too much. _Life went on_ he told himself as he looked in his fridge to see what he could make his Scottish feast for one out of. As he inspected the vegetables for mould his phone went off.

"Ziva," he declared, having recognized the number. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"Do you want me to bring anything for the St. Andrews Day dinner?" Ziva asked. Ducky could hear water running and Ziva sounded out of breath, he assumed she was back from a run. The tap in the background was shut off.

"I wasn't aware we were having one," Ducky replied, nobody had seemed interested.

"Abby and I just assumed," Ziva responded after taking a drink. Ducky made an executive decision, it did not matter that he had no food in his fridge there would be a St. Andrews day dinner.

"My dear you need not bring nothing," Ducky informed her, "But tell everyone we'll have to start a little later this year."

"Ok," Ziva uttered before hanging up.

**XXX**

Ducky was thankful for Palmers autopsy skills and the light caseload as it had allowed him to take the afternoon off to prepare for the rather impromptu St. Andrews Day dinner. As he waited for his guests to arrive he smiled as the scents of his childhood and homeland wafted through townhouse. A smile crossed his aged face.

Ziva was the first to arrive and despite Ducky telling her not to bring a thing she brought some fizzy drink for the sober drivers. She had with her Tony and McGee. Gibbs arrived second and brought Abby with him. Abby was dressed in a tartan mini skirt. Finally, Palmer and Breena arrived. Breena brought with her a chocolate cake with Scotland's flag iced on top.

"Ducky," Tony said as they sat down to eat, "promise me one thing,"

"What would that be Anthony?" Ducky asked as they all passed round the food.

"That I won't have to wear a kilt," Tony replied as he took a big slice of beef.

"And no haggis," Abby declared in a rather childlike way.

"Do you have haggis?" Ziva asked. Ducky nodded.

"Really Ziva," McGee piped in, "It's not really kosher,"

"McGee," Ziva responded, "When was the last time you saw me eat kosher?" Ducky handed Ziva some of the haggis he had brought from a Scottish themed butchery.

"You're one crazy chick, Ziva David," Tony uttered across the table. Ziva shot him a death glare before eating her haggis happily.

Everyone began to eat, and Ducky shared grand tales of his childhood and of Scotland. He told the story of St Andrew who was said to have been killed on a diagonal cross which led to Scotland's flag.

Once they had finished their meal, which was light as they were still at little stuffed from Thanksgiving. The festivities began. The team brushed up on their Scottish dancing. Despite not wearing a kilt Tony proved to be quite the dancer.

**A/N**: I googled St. Andrews Day in DC. Yes, many places in DC claim to have events for it but they seem to be religiously based. My family, being English but living in New Zealand do a similar thing for St Georges Day. We eat a roast and have red and white roses. If I have any customs for St. Andrews Day wrong, do tell me.

St Andrews Day is not a big holiday in fact like St. Georges Day in England probably isn't celebrated by many. It is also not technically a day off in Scotland but can be voluntarily. St. Andrews University gives their students the day off. The holiday seems to be focused on a lot by primary school kids and I don't know what actually happens in Scotland on St. Andrews day.


End file.
